I am writing a dos based till app and I need to get the data from a VB.net application that I struggling to output fix length data files. So would this idea work

When the software boots have it copy from a shared folder a CSV file of all the products and then import it into the fix length data file.

That’s bit is not a problem my problem comes how do I do fixes length data files. (If any know of a good example PLEASE post the link and I will have a read and work from there) the main reason what I ask about this is I have a data file that has over 7,000 lines in it and it is extreamly slow at reading data from the product.dat file (this is a csv file) so if I imported it st the start of the application into the fixed length database it should (if I have my understand of this right) run a lot faster and be more accurate with the results)

Gablea wrote:I have a data file that has over 7,000 lines in it and it is extreamly slow at reading data from the product.dat file (this is a csv file)

I occasionally use a 19 MB data file taken straight from the United Nations Statistical Office (direct download, takes a while). Loading the 44,500 lines into a string array takes typically 60 milliseconds on my mediocre Core i5 notebook. Sorting that string array by one of the columns costs around 30ms.

Maybe you should check your loading routine instead of going for a fixed size solution?

Your code doesn't compile, and of course, it wouldn't run without at least a test csv file. If I understand right, you are running this code on a device that understands only DOS. Is that correct?

Does that DOS device get the csv from a computer running a 32- or 64-bit Windows version? Translating csv to fixed size is very easy on Windows, but of course, it would be helpful if you posted a test version of that csv file.

I know I can not use MySQL on dos and I know DOS does not have any offical Databases but I have read a while ago (but can not find it) how to make a fixed size data file and that seemed to run very quickly when i was experimenting with Windows / DOS options

1) must contain a fixed lenght string (padded if necessary)2) size must equal longest string (in the whole CSV)3) not certain, that this would speed things up

A probably better solution would be: SSD instead of slow HDD.

You've stated, that you are paying NCR 150.-- for absolutely outdated HW.My advice would be: pay them 10.-- and spend the saved 140.-- for a SSD.(If I'd take such old stuff, the people would have to pay me, to take it!)

If you are using DOS and want fixed length, then why not use a dBase III file format. There is probably a FreeBASIC translation somewhere here on the forum or you can translate the one from Ethan Winer over at http://ethanwiner.com/fullmoon.html